The reason why is because casinos put a large amount of money into seeding the jackpot. The machine must then offer smaller payouts to make up for the jackpot.

This means that one player is going to get lucky and hit the jackpot, while other players will win far less often.

Nevertheless, you can theoretically gain positive expected value when the jackpot reaches a certain point. Furthermore, the large jackpot combined with other payouts theoretically offers over 100% payback.

But when is this point?

That’s the hardest part about deciding when you actually gain an advantage with a progressive jackpot. The truth is that the average amateur has no idea.

Bonus Accumulator Slots

Another way that you can gain an edge is through bonus accumulator slots.

These are games where you work towards a specific bonus by triggering certain features over and over. Eventually, you’ll unlock a special bonus that gives you a chance to win more money.

But in order for this to happen, you first need to find a machine that’s almost ready to pay the bonus. The second part is that you need to watch out for the vultures who are doing the same thing.

Bonus vultures are a big reason why accumulator slots are very rare in casinos today. Gambling venues got tired of these players, which is why bonus accumulators are largely a thing of the past.

In summary, it’s hard to find a situation where slot machines are offering you an advantage. However, it’s worth pursuing these opportunities if you’re really obsessed about getting positive expected value.